The present invention relates to an assembly or kit which may be used to modify a particular type of three-dimensional photographic camera which utilizes a moving lenticular screen. After modification, the camera will accept alternative film such as Polaroid-type instant developing film. The particular type of camera for which the present invention is useful is described in a plurality of U.S. patents which have issued to Chi Y. Law. They are U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,712 issued Aug. 15, 1978 and entitled "Camera for Taking Three Dimensional Photographs Having Screen Moving Means;" U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,261, issued Aug. 22, 1978, and entitled "Camera for Taking Three Dimensional Photographs;" U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,262, issued Aug. 22, 1978, and entitled "Three Dimensional Camera Having Lenticular Screen Moving Apparatus;" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,849, issued Nov. 14, 1978, entitled "Three Dimensional Camera Having a Film Holder." The disclosures of the above identified U.S. patents are hereby incorporated within the present disclosure by reference thereto.
For convenience, a short explanation of the operation of the camera disclosed in the above patents follows:
The three-dimensional camera, on which the present invention is an improvement, includes a housing having an opening to the interior on a forward side thereof. An aperture within the housing is moveable transversely across the opening for selectively admitting light rays through the opening as the aperture travels across same. A lens structure in the housing projects the rays of light along an optical path to a lenticular screen located at the rearward of the housing and having parallel, vertical, etched lines on the forward side thereof. A film holder in the housing urges a photosensitive photographic film against the rearward side of the lenticular screen and while the film is held immoveable, the lenticular screen is caused to move, by mechanical means, synchronously and in the same direction as the aperture. As described in the patents referred to hereinabove, the resultant exposure of the film will provide an image which when developed and viewed through a similar lenticular screen will provide the illusion of a three dimensional photograph.
While a camera operating under the principles of the disclosure of the referenced patents has proven to be successful, it is a drawback of the device that it can only be utilized with standard sheet film which must be secured via double-sided ashesive tape within the film holder of the camera, Instant-developing type film cannot be utilized successfully without supporting the edges thereof by a properly sized film holder. Also, the film must be secured within the camera such that the film is not exposed to light during the loading process. This can be inconvenient and awkward.
The present invention relates to a novel assembly or kit which can in a facile manner be attached to the mechanical means of the Law camera to increase the versatility of the camera such that three-dimensional photographs may be taken on many different sizes of film in either the vertical or horizontal format using instant-developing type film such as standard Polaroid sheet film. Any type of film may be loaded into a light-tight film holder of proper size prior to the loading of the film holder into the camera, thus providing the advantage of being able to load the three-dimensional camera in the light.
The assembly according to the present invention includes a sliding frame which is connected to the mechanical moving means of the camera, which mechanical means would normally be connected to the original lenticular screen. The sliding frame is mounted in the camera in the same fashion as was the original lenticular screen and therefore will move synchronously and in the same direction as the camera aperture as was described above with respect to the original lenticular screen. The assembly also includes a lenticular screen frame which is sized to accommodate a lenticular screen of the dimensions suitable for making three-dimensional photographs on a desired film which has been loaded in a removeable sheet film holder. The lenticular screen frame is provided with attaching structure which engage mating attaching structure formed on the sliding frame. A back member replaces the original back of the camera and is attached to the camera housing for selective closure of the rearward side thereof and retains the removeable film holder in either the vertical or horizontal format. Spring means on the back member urge the film holder and the film therein with even force against the new lenticular screen of the assembly. In the preferred form, the lenticular screen and the back member of the improved assembly are sized to accommodate a Polaroid-type film holder which is readily available on the market. The film holder is modified by attaching to the rearward side thereof a locking device which cooperates with the back member to prevent the film from contacting the lenticular screen until such time as the assembly is ready for the exposure of the film. Further, a slide plate in the film holder protects the film from exposure to light until after the film holder is loaded into the camera and thereafter the slide plate is removed.
It is therefore the main objects of the invention to improve upon the conventional lenticular-screen type, three-dimensional camera by providing an assembly, which when attached to the rear of the camera, will permit greater versatility of the camera in that it may thereafter be utilized with many different-sized instant-developing type films in either the vertical or the horizontal format, and may be utilized with any film in a film holder which protects the film from exposure until the film is safely positioned within the camera.